Speed Prodigy
by The One and Only Featherhead
Summary: Major Ashitaka Kaneshiro is a solemn man had been given military tasks to stop terrorists from reaching the city. But when he must protect a young woman called San, they begin to realise that Tokyo is in danger, and that he and San had met before long ago
1. Prologue

Prologue: The Soldier

**Prologue: The Soldier **

The city of Neo-Tokyo never slept or rested beyond the profoundness of the night. The midnight sky floated above the neon unnatural lights of pale blue and sickly sweet green. The roaring cars screeched and howled unruly within the dense atmosphere, as the helicopters swooped across the thick clouds like an eagle soaring above and searching for its victim. And the static crackling of satellite dishes stacked above towers of company buildings in sparse positions leered up within their wires.

But on one building, not to far away below the moon's insipid solemn light, knelt down, a man. His tight black elastic shirt stuck and molded to his body from as his hard chest was easily shown, his sleeves slithered down to just below his elbows, with thick cotton gloves on along with plastic hand and finger guards, as well as the top halves of his fingers and thumbs were bare and shown. The stygian trousers wrapped around his athletic legs slightly loose as one knee was bent down and the other where his right arm was leaning on. The decorative intermediate bounded muscles bonded with his bones and flesh as the remained silent. The dark suave brunette let his feathery hair sway with the soundless breeze, with his olive tanned skin refused to grow any goose bumps. Then came his face; it was pure off any impurities and scars, his lips looked soft yet hard at the same time as they were closed. His eyes were covered though; covered by a digital gadget that looked like night-vision binoculars, they were attached to his eyes and hung behind his ears like glasses, only with a band around his head to keep it steady. He stood silent and still, but stared into something more detailed that would be too blurry to stare far away from. That when the goggles came in, as then his left hand peered onto the side of then and with the flick of a miniature switch, the synthetic green lights sputtered and whirled on, when he also then stared at the building quite near him; he knew something was going on.

The night-vision binoculars then zoomed into the tower building, and specifically rocketed to a certain floor, and then a definite room where inside there were a few men in Armani suits of dark scarlet and pitch black sitting down on leather seats around a coffee table. The static noise whirring inside the goggles were still lingering disorderly, so then the man kneeling down twisted the switch slightly to get the right frequency, until he got the exact conversation he wanted, and decided to overhear the talk.

"There is no need for this; the only deadline we can have your funds is in two weeks."

"That's not good enough; we want it wired right now! Don't forget, we have hostages in the lower level, and we can kill them all if there are any slip ups in our arrangement."

"Please! We don't need any casualties here today."

Then another voice entered into the line.

"Major, come in. Can you hear me?"  
"Yes I can hear you." The brunette man replied through a microphone that was curved over his lips.

"I'm quite surprised you can concentrate on one voice will that racket going on in your frequency. But what's with the static noise going on there?"

"Must be a loose wire."  
"I see, well, Sector 10 has got their SWAT team coming to get hostages, it's all down to you to terminate Mamoroshii."  
"I'm ready." The Major then switched off his goggles and slowly took them off his eyes. His body then gradually stood up onto his feet, as then he drew from his back a fully loaded metallic handgun, when he pulled back the load to get it prepared, and then tucking it away in a gun pocket strapped to his right thigh. He then risen a rope with elastic rope as it was already tied to some metal pipes behind him; he clipped it onto his wait belt and then looked down at the building. He still stared at it; stationary like before. Until he then swerved his back to the open, he let his bodyweight pull him down pass the edge of the tower he was standing on, and dropped down as he was falling through the streamlined air, with his metallic grey eyes reflected from the moonlight. He then back somersaulted in the air as he soared down, but the rope reached its limit as it then tugged on the pipes which then made the Major hauled and pulled to the side of the tower, with then his heavy boots heavily stopping him from swinging as he leaned against the wall.

On another level on the opposing edifice, was a widely-open office, with clerks inside; men and women. All of them were surrounded with heavily bounded men in combat uniforms with machines of bullets in their grips; they all stared at the frightened crowd as a woman whined silently out of terror.

"Shut up!" One of the men spat hastily at the poor lady tried to stifle her tears away.

But behind the locked doors were the SWAT team in black harmonized army outfits with automatic rifles stuck to their chests, as they silently waited behind the doors, each with ghostly anonymous head gear staring at the timber glazed entrance. When then one of them whispered "go." And then a line of men cocked their guns ready and fired at the door. The bullets fiercely pierced through the doors and the screeching of the fires made the hostages quiver and weep loudly, as then the men in combat clothes tried to get themselves out the way. The SWATs then entered into the room with guns at the already prepared, as they then aimed at the heavy men while all that the green army clothed men could do was surrender. Yes they had failed, but if they fired, they could have ended up dead. So yes, they had failed.

Back with the Armani suited men, another SWAT team stood armed and ready behind the entrance. But the man in red came prepared, as his two body guards then laid their cases on the coffee table, and opened it to reveal their automatic AK rifles. The stood against the wall on the side of the doors, and fired their bullets through the door. A few of the SWAT members were injured, as then an "Open fire!" cry echoed the hallway, and the bullet rampage commenced within the floor level they were in. Both of the bodyguards on the other side were immediately killed as their bodies created spasm attacks of fire piercing holes though their flesh, their blood spilled and seeped through their clothes as they laid dead on the floor, leaving the team to brute fully enter the building, but they had to be brought to a stand still, as then they saw Mamoroshii; bald man in the red clean suit aiming a gun to his victim's head in the black Armani.

"Come any closer and I'll plug this guy!"  
Then another man in a strapped outfit came out from the doors walking up to the edge and stopped. His light brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail as his forehead was sown bare in his face.

"You're surrounded Mamoroshii. Let him go."  
"I will not leave until my money is wired into my account. The Tokyo police and government has no involvement in this issue, now leave!"  
"But it is our business. I can have you arrested for attempted murder and endangering citizens."

"Endangering citizens?! Ha! They're part of the trade; in fact, my men are holding them hostage down on the lower level. It can take me 2 seconds to send the order."  
"Your men had failed." An anonymous voice came of nowhere, which lead the entire mean in the level to stare blankly at ceilings and walls. "Now let go of the victim, or I will have to end your life." A husky ruff came down from Mamoroshii's throat as a sign of ignorance, as he gripped onto the victim tighter and pressed the gun closer to his head.

"You think that pathetic deal will threaten me? I seriously doubt it."  
"Don't say I didn't warn you." The red suited man was confused, then the glass window from the side shattered immensely, when then he flicked his head away for a slight second with the sound of a rapid bullet. In the middle of his forehead had a blood-filled hole, as his eyelids and his stamina dropped intensely. Then another fire from the same area commenced, as which this time, Mamoroshii's head became a violent bomb of brains and blood as it scattered across the room. The SWAT team and the victim squirmed a little as they covered their faces from the remains of the red suited man. The victim quickly scurried away from the falling body and into the SWAT crowd. The men were panicky at that point.

"What was that?!"  
"It came from outside!" The men then hurried themselves to the broken window as their heads peered outside. The man with the ponytail rudely brushed pass the men and stuck his head out as he minded the staggered glass. He and the others saw what appeared to be a dark brunette, feathery haired man gripping hold of his rope sliding down from the side of the wall.

"Who is that?"

"He's the Major from Sector 7."

The Major silently stared at the team as he slid down from the rope and into the thin air, as the SWAT stared back out of mystery, of who this Major was.


	2. Major Ashitaka Kaneshiro

Chapter 1

**Major Ashitaka Kaneshiro**

_His body floated in the mid darkness, his eyes wee gracefully closed as his hair shimmered and danced with the air. He then stood slowly on a dewy ground of prairie; a field of grass so wide and so freshly green, he stood near the edge of a mountain filled and covered with grass and delicate flowers. He looked up at the bright blue sky with white clouds surfing above, and then he stared at the mountains in front of him, all covered with nature like the one he was standing on. He just kept gazing at the thin line he was imagining, just staring…and staring…_

THE SOUND of an alarm clock bleeped and bleeped to its purpose of waking people up. He opened his eyes only to see the blackness of his room. He then tapped his finger on a button from his right side to stop the annoyance of his alarm, and brought one knee up to rest one of his arms on. His other hand switched off the blinds of his curtains to reveal the Neo-Tokyo skyline, as then he rubbed his eyes with a quiet morning moan. It wasn't like last night with the neon lights glowing in the distance and the roaring transports, instead he saw the light colors of the sky with pale lilac and soft blue, and the towers were silent like stone. The contrast of shadows on his skin echoed across his bare chest and down to his loose sweat pants.

He still stared at the calm skyline for moments, until he then risen from his bed and onto his feet. He then quite drowsily walked over to the bathroom, where there, he drew off his trousers and entered into the shower. The water first sprinkled coldly onto his skin, which made him tingle, but then the water gradually grew warmer and warmer until it reached hot. He wiped away the running water from his eyes and tilted his head up pointing to the source of the water, and then leaned one arm onto the wall in front of him, placing his forehead against his arm. The steam from the water stared to emerge from the air as it clouded the bathroom. He let the showering water collide against his back as it gave him a soothing massage for him. His eyes were still half sleepy with the water running down his cheek, the quite immense temperature of the shower didn't mind him at all, in fact, and he quite liked the strong concentration of it.

AN HOUR later, he was already brushed and dressed as he sat on his made bed strapping his shin-length boots on with hard Velcro. He worn his quite bright blue jacket on with his tight navy t-shirt underneath, along with his beige combat trousers tucked inside his boots. He then brought out two hand guns and pocketed them within his open jacket, when then he tucked a police badge on his belt. He slowly reached up onto his feet and walked out of his apartment, shutting the blinds with a flicker of a switch, and he also brought out, a bike helmet.

HE THEN placed himself onto his slick carbon black Yamada motorbike, with his helmet placed over his head, and his gloves attached to his hands with his fingers and thumbs uncovered. He kicked the stand back into its place and revved the accelerator with his right hand. The bike was then fully charged and ready to soar on the roads, as then he was striding rapidly on the road. He passed through the traffic caused by cars that took up too much space, roaring pass them side by side as he swerved through the crowd agilely when he then entered the heart of Tokyo, where the tower giants populated over the dense atmosphere. He dashed through tunnels of orange lights flashing onto his clothes as he rode on the road. Rising out into the open where he saw an empty space to roam freely; accelerating his speed gradually to feel the freedom of driving a two-wheeled transport that can tempo much faster than any ordinary car. A few minutes passed, and he reached his destination; the special federal police bureau. It was a tall white tower with a wall of glass, with a few trees used for decoration side kicks to the main optimum. And there was a glass door there, but it was tightly shut as if it was a vault. He then steadily brought his bike to a halt and kicked open the stand for I to hold by himself. He took a deep breath into his lungs before huffing out again as he drew off his helmet to reveal his chocolate feather hair and his pure face. Placing his slick bike in a safe parking area, he then peacefully walked up some low steps and up to the vault like door. But in front of him was a screen with the police logo the same as his badge, he leaned his head near to the screen, as it the whirred up a different page, when then a green light flashed onto his grey eye, examining it with non-harmful lasers, checking his iris, lens and cornea. And then it switched off, and there was hi name entered onto the screen.

"_Welcome Major." _A synthetic woman's voice echoed out from the speakers, as then the glass door slid open with a drone noise ricocheting out to the open air. The Major then walked into the building with his helmet still in his hand and his eyes were still acting normal from those laser examinations, he looked up and saw the encirclement of more pale glass windows that stacked gracefully on the ceiling. And levels of floors stacked below the ceiling of wineglass.

Then a man cam walking up to him, he was wearing a cocoa colored leather jacket, with dark blue trousers along with black sturdy shoes and a white top to cover his chest, his mixture of milk chocolate and auburn within the streaks of his short fringe and tiny strands of hair on his head, his purple yes calmly gazed at the Major as he then smiled.

"Major Kaneshiro, you're finally here."  
"Did the head call you here too Sono?"

"Yeah, he has another assignment set for us."

"Let's go then."

THEY WERE then in an elevator with granite coverings for the walls and a mirror on one side, they were both heading up for the top level where their head for Sector 7 took place. It seemed nearly everything in the building was made of glass, as then Major Kaneshiro noticed that the granite walls were translucent with another layer of wineglass covering the outside, where there he saw the skyline of hustling Tokyo once more, and the metal frames peering up and down repeatedly. He stood tall against the wall whilst Sono was leaning against it with his hands in his pockets.

"You know you did a grand job with Mamoroshii last night."

"I doubt that Sector 10 thinks the same."

"You mean Chisato? C'mon Kaneshiro. He always get's pissed off when we come in on the task; its part of our job to carry out that task, we're not in on a contest."  
"You say that, but that what it appears to be in the end."  
"Ashitaka…" The Major then turned his face to Sono when he heard his first name. "…Life can be a game sometimes; it's mostly about survival of the fittest. You know that from YOUR experience."  
"Yes…" Ashitaka trailed off a little s he still saw the morning sky dry out from the sun's rays, as they peek over the giant company towers.

They then reached up onto the top level; level 34, as when the elevator slid open to one side, both Ashitaka and Sono walked out at the same time to a massive room with a huge massive room with a wall of windows with metallic panes gluing them together, there was then a desk with a man sat down on a wheelie chair face to the landscape.

"Sir, Major Kaneshiro and Sergeant Hiasashi are here." A lady in a formal office clerk uniform standing near the desk quietly mentioned to the man in the chair, when then by a flick of wrist, she walked away. The two men then walked over to the desk and stood there, waited for the man to swivel around to see their faces.

He was wearing another suit dressed in black with a black tie and a white blouse, he was quite old in years at around his 50's as small threads of silver hair began to show through his pitch black locks of thick feathers, yet it was slicked back with gel and his sideburns were trimmed. He stared at the two men and then gave off a small humph and smiled.

"I first want to congratulate you two on the Mamoroshii task, especially to you Major Kaneshiro, your outstanding performance had reflect on this bureau with how much talent a young man has, particularly a man in his 20th year."  
"Thank you sir, I'll take that as a compliment."  
"And you should, but now we face yet another threat." He then rose up from his chair and led the two young men to another room.

It was dark black and the there was very little lighting in there, but there was a flat board which then light up night –lucent green light that then gave a 2D view with lasers visioning it in front of their faces as it showed what appeared to look like was a webpage.

"We had this sent to us at 5:30 AM this morning to what appeared to be a message from someone called the Hustler."  
"The Hustler?" Sono asked.

"Yes, we searched this name on the internet and he…or she, is a well-known terrorist in 5 countries of Germany, Russia, China, England, and America, The Hustler has committed the crimes of federal fraud, stock manipulation, illegal information gathering, and political engineering."  
"Wow, that's one hell of a way to get yourself locked up for life."  
"But then how has he managed not get himself arrested?" Ashitaka decided to pop up a vital question with his arms crossed.

"His cunning use of anonymity and endless transfers across continents had kept the police away from trying to capture him or her on the Hustler's trail, some say it's impossible."

"If he or she want's to keep off tracks with the police, why would the Hustler send you a message here?"  
"Take a look at this message." The man in the suit then pressed down onto a button on the screen, which then flickered from a webpage, to a formal letter with an original Japanese writing. "This letter tells us about his act of terrorism over his career, he hit some major cities here; Washington DC, London, Berlin, Beijing, you name it."  
"And now Tokyo is the Hustler's new target."  
"Exactly, I believe that this is a warning from him or her that it's gonna hit big here?"  
"What does he or she want?"  
"Profit. Believe it or not he works for secret governments, who want to bring down cities that could be threats to their demise, so they hired the Hustler to send devastation links around the globe, and London was just repairing from financial matters so the city can't get destroyed."  
"What happens to cities that refuse to pay credit?"  
"I bet he blows them up to smithereens."  
"I'm afraid so Sergeant, his use of demolition and involvement of citizens can lead to wide-mass destruction and thousands of deaths and casualties."  
"I'm sure as hell we don't need that here in Tokyo."

"Less cussing please Sergeant."

"Sorry sir."

"So…" Ashitaka intervened. "Does he have any connections here? Anyone he or she would be fond to get occupied with."  
"We know that the Hustler is also eminent for internet hacking." By another press of a flat button, the screens changed and flickered into more web pages, only more images instead of writing. "He or she can infiltrate any hard access codes across the nations, but we did pick up a hard line that was tracked near the old town, where today the markets are up."  
"Anything else?"

"Yes, apparently the hard line also had an owner source, and this one's Yamagada Uzami; an owner in the black market."  
"So what's our task then?"  
"Find him, and bring him back hear for questioning. Surely that will be a breeze for you Major." Ashitaka lifted his chin slightly.

"I can do it." He was still formal the way he spoke.

"And Sergeant can join you too." The Major then turned his eyes to Sono.

"Yes, sir."  
"Now off with you two." The two young police soldiers then walked out of the dark room, as then the laser green lights switched off. They were then exposed to the white light from the skyline windows, when there slowly walked back over to the elevator.

"Well Major, here comes another mission for us."  
"It's our job Sono; it's all about missions."


	3. Insight

Chapter 2

**Insight**

The Motorway was always either filled with polluting combustion or abruptly blocked for some road works, that day wasn't that bad with the traffic moving along smoothly but there was specifically detected grey van driven calmly ahead of a few cars. The outside showed a false logo of a pizza slice, whilst inside was a different story.

Sono was driving at the front with the wheel, with Ashitaka at the back end fitting over a tight black T-shirt over his head, and in his surroundings were electro and digital gadget supplies accompanied with guns that can vary from a hand pistol to a single-shot silencer. The Major was just equipping himself with a strange peculiar device that Sono recognized when he looked behind with the mirror.

"Is that the new indiscernible hedonic camouflage device?"  
"Yes, the electrical engineer specialists allowed me to borrow it."  
"How does it work?" Ashitaka pace fully strapped on his gadgets onto his biceps, thighs, and abdomen.

"Obviously this appliance can connect with my skin and turn my pigments transparent and also to whatever my skin touches. But it's not fully been developed yet; they're still having trouble with the durance of the apparatus once it becomes active. The locking mechanisms I'm attaching to my limbs and stomach send electrical impulses to my brain that set my muscles into matrix mode. There is only one side-effect; because the devices activates with receptors, it means that my sensory neurons with react faster with more concentration and thermal energy, leading from that, it will increase my senses through my Central Nerve System which will then lead me to have quicker reflexes."  
"So say if you wear that mechanism, you can attack anyone within like a nanosecond along with the benefit of being invisible to the naked eye?"  
"Exactly."

"That's so unfair, why do YOU get to have all the upgraded gadgets and all I get are a few measly gunfire arms?"  
"Apparently you come into appliance with these devices with your promotions, but like I said before; I'm only borrowing this one."  
"Right…well what's our objective Major?"  
"Find Uzami and put him under custody for an oral commission."  
"And where's our location?"  
"Old Town, that's where they hold the black market."

Sono then increased the acceleration speed slightly as he saw the posts hanging over the bars of traffic lights pointing the way of Old Town, where ahead were also towers, but not as interpretive or vivid like the ones in Neo-Tokyo, the walls were concrete cold and their cracks crawled through the glass windows, but it still seemed busy with life; this was where people who weren't as financially fortunate as Sono or Ashitaka, who had to cope and struggle most of their lives, yet they kept content and peaceful, maybe because they were grateful that they have life in the first place.

They reached the town, where the local markets are up for selling cheap jewelry and live eels, where the people's clothes couldn't match up to high-class society in the new city. Yet they still kept content and peaceful. Content and peaceful; the last place where the police force would find illegal advertisement and trades. But not Ashitaka.

They then walked into the dusted street with the stalls up in their place, where also they could fond a few amount of people wearing their traditional Japanese kimonos. They stood side by side for a moment and let their eyes take full observation.

"Let's split; find anything suspicious contact me through our cellular head pieces."  
"Right." They both then place a small device into one of their ears and pressed a button which made it bleep for one second, until it became fully activated. "Let's go."

They then walked into different directions as they searched for Uzami and his illegitimate demises. Sono walked amongst the crowd as his boot steps prowled the area. Ashitaka decided to take the quiet alley route where there is mostly young toddlers playing around with their footballs and their little toy soldiers, still quiet, lowly quiet. But then he looked up slowly and saw a person walking up his way.

The fatigue matched a woman's shape, her heavy-looking half-gothic boots with purple flames pounded against the floor as the dust rose in the air with every step, the thin leather material of her trousers stuck to her legs like rubber as they showed her thin yet muscled thighs, her dark violet sleeveless top risen a little from her belly button as he pelvic bone was showing slightly, but most of her top was hidden by a black leather jacket with a cotton hood covering her short hair and face, she kept her pale hands that were veiled with punk-style gloves within the pockets of her trousers; she was a punk rocker alright.

Ashitaka lowered his pace by only a nanosecond when he spotted the girl walking his way, as they intercepted, their eye contact refused to notice each other, yet they normally swayed their way passed further away from their length. The moment the secreted girl surpassed the Major, he stopped when she was a few footsteps away from him, and wondered at her peculiarly. He then bleeped the button of his head piece.

"Sono can you hear me? Sergeant?"

"_What is it? Have you spotted him?" _

"_Could it be by any chance that Uzami is a woman?" _

"Yamagada is a male name, why would a woman use it?"

"_To cover her tracks or to fool us for misleading a man." _  
"Hmm…that's true but—huh?" Sono then spotted someone quite peculiar within the crowd; there was a man in a red thick coat, wearing sunglasses and Nike trainers with dirt-smeared jeans and wooly gloves. Why the hell would he be wearing wooly gloves and a thick coat in the Sichigatsu, the month of July?  
"Ashitaka, I think I found someone."  
_"Uzami?"_

"Hang on; I'm not quite…sure…" He stood on his spot whilst he saw the peculiar man trying to camouflage with the crowd, but his red coat was too bright to not bring attention to.

Sono saw him walking over to a lorry with an open barge, and out came another man in a dark long-coat with thick bug-eyed sunglasses too. They both stared at each other for moment, before an exchange of an object was made; a sort of…technological device, more like, a disk. And then Sono also spotted, were hand automatic rifles in the pocket of his inside coat.

"It's him. He's definitely Uzami."  
_"Where is he? I'll come to you." _  
"No hang on…he's making a move." Sono took a few steps closer towards Uzami, closer and closer he tried to get whilst his right hand slowly slid down his thigh to grab hold of his handgun.

But he moved too soon. The man in the dark drapes sensed someone was here; he turned to his side as he saw Sono's deep purple eyes stare directly through his sunglasses. His gasped a little and struggled to pull out weaponry, before he then quickly loaded his handgun and aimed.

"It's a cop!" He shrieked, as then the one in red looked back at Sono; the bullets were let loose and speedily set fire to the air. The Sergeant rapidly knocked himself out of the way as well as part of the public, the one in the drapes hurried his feet back into the lorry and forcefully drove himself out of the market, but the man in red tried to run as far as he could; knocking citizens harshly out of his way and down the road. Sono struggled to get up and bleep his head piece.

"He's on the run! Down the 12th street! You can catch him at the pipe flooding perimeter!"

Ashitaka immediately switched his head piece off, and began to sprint, really hard with his pounding boot steps which made the punk girl look behind with a "Huh?" expression. His arms cut through the streamlined air like they were simple wheat and his fingers were knives, his athletic legs dragged his body forward in a strong, circular motion of dashing down the lane. He then spotted a building with layers of steel flooring on them along with ladders; it would be too slow for him to climb, so he thought of another choice, jump.

His incredibly physically powerful thighs helped him reached leap into the air and landed on one of the levels, and then another, and another, until he elegantly reached up onto the flat roof of the building, where there he stopped only for a brief moment. He took off his cobalt jacket revealing his tight black t-shirt with the indiscernible hedonic camouflage devices attached to his limbs and stomach, there was a switch on his left one that automatically initiates the beginning of the electrical impulses to his Central Nervous System. He quickly bleeped onto his head piece and strapped the thrust of the band tighter to his limbs.

"Sono, I'm going into the matrix mode. Be ready near the pipe flooding perimeter."  
_"Right." _The Major rapidly turned off his piece again and began to run at his accelerated speed again, only because he mentioned that the side-effects would increase his reflex effectors, his running time amplified by 8m/s. When then, a small lighting glitch reflected on his body, which it then suddenly spread throughout his body life wildfire, as it overtook him, the skin and clothes he wore electrically turned transparent, but it won't be for long.

Sono was still trying to catch up with Uzami throughout the crowd, the people getting in the way wasn't much help for the Sergeant, yet his hurriedly yet kindly asked them to move out of the way so that he could cuff the goddamn internet hacker. Uzami couldn't fire anymore bullets only for the reason that he would be too easily noticed by other forces that might come into his way.

Most likely Sector 10 will collide in with members of Sector 7, Chisato, the head of Sector 10 always found it vexing how him and the Major always come to intersect when a serious incident happens, but now wasn't the time for conflict between the police force, the main target at that point was to capture and arrest Uzami, who could hold information about the Hustler.

As the two men continued to sprint down, the crowd slowly began to disperse and grew sparse in size, leaving nearly him and Uzami to combat face to face. Finally, a place where he could shoot; the man in red then shot a wide range of firearms of spearing bullets at Sono, but the Sergeant was too quick as he then hid behind a wall of an old tower. He loaded a pistol he drew and cocked the metallic barrel. With his individual skill in firearms, he cleverly managed to hit away the automatic rifle out of Uzami's hand with one bullet. The man was shrieking for a moment, but he drew out his last gun and shot close bullets at Sono, but the wall seemed to have a good bullet-proof barrier to protect his body. Damn, he should have brought some bullet-proof vests. Out of panic, Uzami began to run away into the empty horizon, Sono tried to get himself back out in the open, but he was too far away to fire at him; he sighed as he brought out exhilarating breathes.

Uzami continued to run and run, until he was like one and a half mile away from the Sergeant. He then slowly realized that he was on the edge of the pipe flooding perimeters; where the broken pipes somehow purified the water yet couldn't contain the spillage that was caused by holes. The water filled the whole landscape at about 4 cm's, where also in front was the edge of Neo-Tokyo. He sighed quite peacefully and stared at the white towers for a moment.

But then he heard a footstep splatter on the water's surface which made a rippling sound. He sharply turned around and fired his last bullets at the water, unsure of what that was; he just decided to shoot out of panic once more, until he was fully out. He stepped back a few times when then a cold wind brushed pass his ear.

"Out of ammo?" The Major's voice came out from the thin air, which made Uzami turn around and look up, but to then be tossed into the air and slammed ferociously down breaking the surface. He lay still for a moment with the liquid trickling over his body. The shadow of the Major was easily seen, but his body wasn't; only flitching effect of light flickered like interference, but gradually faded away.

Uzami brought himself back onto his feet again, yet he slowly drew out a dagger the size of two fingers. He tried to pierce the air as he slid across the water and swung his arms around a couple of times. Yet he slowly stopped yet again from the silence. Until, his wrist was harshly and piercingly gripped by an invisible hand and then twisted immensely to make him drop the knife. The man in red squealed in pain from the Chinese burn and crunching of his bones. But then, another flicker of light over found in front of him which then figured into a manly fatigue. Another "huh?" came out from the air, but was then brute fully silenced back the ferocious pounding of punches and uppercut, and ending with a kick, the man fell back down to the floor.

The flickers of light slowly faded away as well as its invisibility disappeared too. Major Ashitaka stared back down at the painfully hurt Uzami as he switched off the indiscernible hedonic camouflage devices. He didn't say a word, not even a twitch of an eye, and then Sono was spotted kneeling down as he held the man's gun in his hand.

"You caught him didn't you? Well the breach in the barrel really screwed up. That's what happens when you use HB bullets in an automatic rifle. Oh yeah." Uzami weakly rose his top half up and grunted.

"It's no use arresting me! I'm not talking to you goddamn cops?!"  
"Cops?" Sono's voice rose up a little, as he then rose up to his feet and turned a quite stern face at him. "We're more than cops; we're part of the federal CIA you dickhead!"

"Huh?" Uzami was still confused when then Ashitaka's voice intervened.

"Do you know who we are? We're specialized police forces that work within cyber and terrorist crime. We know you're involved with an eminent hacker called the Hustler." Uzami gasped at that moment, as he tried to get up, but Ashitaka's foot stomped him back down onto his stomach, and brought out his cuffs as he clouted the man's wrist together. "Yamagada Uzami, you're under arrest for illegal internet hacking, and will be put under confinement." He then rose back up when Sono gave him his blue jacket back when his put it back on.

"Hackers may be cunning through cyberspace, but their no good on the battlefield; he'll talk."


	4. Chanelling Worlds

Chapter 3

**Channeling Worlds**

"I already told you sons of bitches, I got nothing!" Uzami fiercely snarled at the head of Sector 20; Chisato, the man with a ponytail to hold his hair back, only he was wearing a black, heavy straight jacket with navy jeans on, along with a red top. And on his side was some sort of detective wearing a dark beige suit with a straight-cut hairstyle. They were both sat by side on chairs in front of a grey clean desk with Uzami's oily face sneering at them both. They were all in one room with a recording device in motion at the back, with one half of a wall was paved with a mirror, but on the other side was a recording audio confinement room where the mirror was secretly a looking through glass in disguise. A man with headphones, with a little bit of weight put around his stomach, was twitching his fingers and flicking buttons to figure out what was said in the confinement room opposite to him. Sono stood in a shrugged position with his hands in his jean pockets with Ashitaka standing tall with his arms crossed; the Major's emotionless face stared beyond the glass towards Uzami's body language and movement.

"There's no need to hide anymore Uzami; we have you under our custody, and we know about your criminal records."  
"Prove it then you dumb scumbags!" Chisato then held out a CD from his pocket, as he unshielded it from it's plastic case, and inserted it into the hard drive of the recording device; setting it to hearing mode. He slowly sat back down as then the 2D flat speakers were then set to active, and a conversation began to play, with Uzami's voice involved.

"You got the disk?"  
"Yeah, the list is full and complete of all the well-known hackers in Tokyo. They're already informed about project 88."  
"Yes, he will be pleased."  
"And when the project's done and accounted for, our money will be wired into our balance accounts as we head our way into paradise." Chisato then shut off the speakers and CD with a click of his fingers. Uzami's eyes could already unveil the guiltiness of his commission between on of his appliances.

"I bet you can't prove that little conversation you just had was all just a hoax." The man sighed with disbelief. "It's also very stupid of you to carry a copy of that disk whilst you were being chased by two highly trained soldiers." Uzami gasped deeply as Ashitaka lifted his head up slightly to see the man's horrid reaction of that statement made by Chisato.

"You will be kept here under confinement until further otherwise." Chisato and the detective then walked out of the room, leaving Uzami to lay his head on the table with his hands still cuffed together by the steel chains that kept his wrists close and unable to move around freely. Sono looked however, disappointed, by the end of the inquisition.

"He didn't talk."  
"He didn't have to." Ashitaka replied in a quiet firm tone. "His body language did. And now we have our first lead on the Hustler because of him." He then gave off a silent breathe as then he saw Chisato enter the same room he and Sono were in, his face of disapproval was painted boldly on his face as he grunted quietly under his breathe. But he then straightened himself out as he tugged on his jacket and pulled out the disk as he handed it towards the Major.

"Your head wanted to approve this task for you two to handle."  
"You should be involved in this too, maybe we could—

"Thanks but no thanks Major." Ashitaka was quite insulted by the way Chisato turned down his offer. Why was it that he showed off a haze of vexation towards Sector 7, especially Major Kaneshiro? Could it be envy? The main theory looked like envy. "He also told me that you two are dismissed for today." Ashitaka took off the disk slowly from Chisato's offering when he then hastily walked out of the room in a silent rush. The Major still looked a little stunned by his exit but the Sergeant just looked blankly at the swinging door.

"Some gratitude for turning down joining us. Nothing but jealous my opinion"  
"He _is _jealous Sono; he just doesn't want to admit it." Then a pointless stillness filed the room for a moment.

"Right well, its 3 o'clock, let's go; we're done for the day.

THEY WERE then back in the elevator with the translucent wineglass layered over the granite covering, where you can see outside a hectic afternoon in the city of Neo-Tokyo. Once again the Major was found stood up straight with his arms by his side, and the Sergeant having his hands tucked into his pockets as he stood in a quite crooked position.

"What are you going to do now since you're given the rest off the day off?"  
"Go home." Ashitaka replied in a simple term.

"Go home? Don't you have another social life than your home? Jesus Ashitaka you can be boring sometimes." The Major then looked up at him and stared for a moment.

"Fine, I'll tell you what; meet me at the east docks at 6:30 tonight."

"Is that a request or a command?" The elevator had just reached its floor on the ground level, as then the whirring sound of the metal doors sliding open commenced.

"Whatever Sono." With a final statement, Ashitaka then walked out of the elevator, putting his tall-posing walk as he modestly strutted out of the building with the glass door unlocking its vault-like access. But then he sighed when he got outside, and closed his eyes slowly, before he opened them back up sharply and strolled down to his Yamada motorbike, as he then placed himself in it, where there with his helmet, he gallantly rode the bike into the wind as he once more strode through the traffic and through the amber-light tunnels, when he then reached one of his favorite places known to him, home.

HE SLOWLY opened the door when he placed his house key through the hole and easily twisted the mechanism, quietly closing it from behind. He then peacefully walked up into the main room, where his small kitchen shared the same area of the bedroom/living room. His footsteps reached the pale white plastic tiles of the kitchen flooring, as he reached up from a top cupboard to get out a chicken and mushroom flavored 'Pot Noodle', and then filling up his kettle of cold water as the tap water trickled a bit over his hands. Turning it on with the blue light showing that it's activated, he then walked over bear the men placing his bright cobalt jacket on the grey sheeted bed. There were another two rooms left inside the flat he was living in; the bathroom, and another spare room, where there he kept some training devices like a skipping rope or a punching bag. God he was a sport junkie.

Later on he was found in the spare room wrapping some white bandages around his hands, and also inside was a MP3 stereo, as then he clicked and flicked through songs of his taste, until turning on Linkin Park with the song 'Given Up' from their latest album 'Minutes to Midnight'. The plasma speakers at the back echoed the song around the room, as Ashitaka walked over to his punching bag and swung his arms around, moving his muscles trying to stretch them out, until he then raised and clenched his fist, positioned like a fighter.

He then began to punch the bag quite lowly at first, but then when his stamina and adrenaline grew, his fists became harder and more violent than the last ones. Reaching up to the chorus, he twisted his body and did a side kick and used his elbow to try to knock the bag around, it was like he was taking his anger out on a black leather bag filled with foam. His fists collided against the material with every three seconds, also lifting his left knee up in a Thai kick-boxing style. 5 minutes later, he let his right shoulder collapse on punch bag hanging from a chain up from the ceiling, panting with sweat trickling down from his face. But the weird thing was that his face expression was, sad. His eyes were quite watery and his lips were quivering a little with every hot steamy breath he drew out. He pulled his face away from it as his eyes close and his forehead still sticking to the leather, until drawing his fist back and grunted quite loudly as his collided it into the foam-filled punch bag once more.

_ANOTHER DREAM again. He rode through a forest on top of the back of a strange animal called an 'elk'. Most likely to be extinct now, but the forest remained dark and luscious of chlorophyll dazzling in the floating air. The scene faded through in and through out different settings of nothing but succulent varieties of green; the sky was pale baby blue of delight, the sun was gleaming out and there was a stone wall reaching about a mile to a wooden tower. He then saw a girl; short brown hair, purple kimono, bare foot, and wearing an odd hat. But was peculiar, was that she called out his name. _

"_Ashitaka!" She began to ran with another two girls, frightened, scared; something was chasing them. But then He saw himself riding faster with the elk, as he drew out a bow and arrow._

"_Kaya!" He called out, and then by a fierce release of the arrow, the dream was over. _

THE MAJOR woke back up in his apartment, he lay on the grey sheets of his made bed which he creased slightly, arms and legs spread and groans coming out from his throat. He slid his left hand across his face and looked on his side to see that the time was 5:45 pm.

"Shit." He sighed and whispered under his breathe, as he then lifted his back up from the mattress and got himself ready for whatever was arranged for him and Sono at 6:30 pm, if Sono did decide to come.

A SLIGHTLY violent splash of deep sea water commenced from the surface, as the Major bound himself below the face of the sea, his black streamlined scuba-diving suit passed the water current with his oxygen pump initiating to work, and his flippers flowed up and down as he swan elegantly further and further don into the cavernous blue, he then let some of the oxygen to pump out as he shown his breathing mask up front, he arched his back as the horde of bubbles collided pass his suit, when then his body began to rise slowly back up to the surface. The navy darkness began to fade gradually into pale bottle blue, as He saw the sweet orange sky with strawberry clouds hovering below the heavens like candy floss. He was getting close to the surface, when he then leaned his arms back and leered his head close to the edge of the other side. Slowly and gradually, his head pierced the flat side and entered back into the breathing world. His body floated for a moment as he heard the seagulls cawing above him. He then turned his head to the side when he spotted his mini surfing driving hovercraft.

A few minutes, he was then sat quite numbingly onto the side of a small white boat, as he began to undo his oxygen supply and his mask, with Sono sat behind him, along with a baby blue buttoned t-shirt, worn over a tight white sleeveless top and normal 'Levis' designer jeans and K-Swiss trainers, along with a Budweiser can in his hand.

"I thought I already saw everything of you, and now I see the Major going deep scuba-diving. I never knew you dig this kind of stuff." Ashitaka rose up onto his feet as he then brushed his fingers through his damp, dripping fringe when he swept it through his head, he stared at Sono but didn't say a word when he then held onto his pumps and masks while he walked down below the deck, but stopped at the door when Sono began talking again. "Aren't you afraid of anything down there? What would happen when the oxygen runs out or something else happened?"  
"Then perhaps I'll drown. Or will you jump in to save me?" The Major continued through the door where he left it half open. "I didn't force you to come here; I only offered so you can see that I'm not boring."  
"Is that why you're pissed off with me Ashitaka? Just because of a small comment?"  
"No, I don't like it when people say I'm one thing but don't see the next." A small silence shuddered between them both. "That's your problem; you can be so damn small-minded that you don't see what's beyond your purple eyes. Not to mention brainless at times."  
"Hey you—

The sentence was left unfinished when he saw an accidental glimpse of Ashitaka undo the zip of his swimwear as he revealed his flawless back; the wetness of the salty water was peeled back the shark-skin suit, but then Sono immediately looked away when Ashitaka reached down below the waist and grunted slightly. But then, an odd thought came up about Ashitaka, more social wise.

"Do you have a girlfriend Ashitaka?"  
"Why, do you?" another silence echoed the air.

"No…but it would be nice to have one." Still getting undressed from the swimsuit, the two men still carried on their occasional conversation.

"Don't us all."  
"What are you talking about? With that body of yours, you'll have girls falling their knees up to your waist"  
"I don't think a blowjob can be classed as a relationship Sono."  
"I know but…"  
"If you want sex, there's a brothel in the Old Town."  
"No, I'm not looking for sex. I just want a relationship. Didn't you ever found one once?" Ashitaka sighed to the air quite loudly.

"I mostly what's worthy on the inside; that's wear it reflect real beauty. And if that girl's both beautiful on the outside and in, well…she's lucky."  
"Hm." Sono then tilted his head up to the sky a little; as he watched the seagulls soar in the tangerine sky, as the hustling and rustling of transports and sirens commenced even more, and the skies turned from sugary ginger, to sapphire aurora with teal soft clouds.

A few hours had passed, and Ashitaka was found sitting on the edge of the still white both, with a loose sleeveless white top on, droopily tucked into his light blue jeans with leather boots on. His hair was washed and dry wavy, with his skin smelling dewy like the shower he always had, along with a Budweiser can in his grip. Then Sono came out from under the deck and sat opposite to the Major. Their quiet moments were quite common between the two of them, even though they known each other for years; their conversations would only last for one minute; they do need to get out more, between the two of them.

"What do you feel…when you go under water?" Sono decided to popup a question.

"I thought you've been through all of the water training at the beginning of the course."  
"Not that Ashitaka, I meant the ocean." The Major then turned his head down low to himself.

"I feel…different, separate from my body, like my soul departs from myself into a different portal…must be the decompression of the water current." He then took the beer can and tilted his head back a little as the alcohol ran a course down his throat before leaning his head back in his previous position.

"The problem with me is that I'm not too fond of water; I often panic a little when I know I need to reach back up to the surface to collect more oxygen."  
"The trick is to let yourself relax when floating back up; that is actually the quickest way to reach to the surface."  
"Now I know that the alcohol's starting to mess with you know."  
"I recently took some blood test just for a regular check up, and I found out that my glucagons in my liver can dilute the number of toxins in my body by 67, and I only drank like 24, so I can drink the capacity of 5 move cans to actually have the side effects of getting drunk. But I choose not to overdo myself. And that'd what I think a part of my life is about: choices. I chose to join this police force, I chose to live here in Tokyo, I chose to take a bit of risk by going scuba-diving, and I chose not to drink too much volume; all for a greater purpose."  
"And what is that greater purpose?"  
"The principle of knowing that your body is a shell, that it is there to keep your spirit or ghost locked within it until your time on Earth is up. There are so many life expectancies that can vary from all different kinds of ages; whether it is affected by sickness, health, suicide, homicide, or natural death. Sure there are different views on life after death, such as heaven and hell or just an empty black hole. But what people don't know is what happens when your heart actually stops pumping and that the blood through your veins and arteries stops flowing. Does life finishes there? Or is it true that your soul can leave the shell so that it can start a new life somewhere else? What actually define a unique soul are the personality and qualities and negatives you hold. My body and voice are only physical, but my inner psyche has no life expectancy, no death day to which it will cease. I feel free knowing I can channel between worlds." The Major lifted his head up when he spoke of his last sentence, as the cool summer night breeze swept pass his dark chocolate wavy hair, while the silence prolonged once more.

"Confinement within the body sounds like your grudge trying to break. But why gamble your life with all these hectic risky businesses? What is it you plan to see before you die?"  
"I don't know." A simple answer was replied, but then, a voice echoed through his ears.

"_To see with eyes unclouded…by hate." _The hollow sound of his own voice ran deep in his blood as he pricked his head up sharply from the same yet anonymous tone heard only by Ashitaka. He lifted himself up and stared by his side of the city.

"What's wrong?" Sono asked lightly, but Ashitaka didn't reply. He then looked down at the floor of the boat as he heard the wind blowing smoothly on the skin of his neck. But then his eyes and face turned towards the full moon shining up high in the velvet black night companioned with stars of shattered glass. The moonshine reflected a contrast of highlights and shadows that overtook his appearance, as his metallic silver-grey eyes stared deeply of another deep night.


	5. List Chase

Chapter 4

**List Chase **

The morning rose early again to the peach oily sky and blue pastels of clouds of the quiet Neo-Tokyo sky. Ashitaka ran a course through the tunnels of orange flickering lights, with his Yamada slick black bike and his protective headwear on.

Back over at the bureau, he entered into the elevator as he stared out at the huge tower giants of Tokyo with his faint reflection gazing back at him. His metallic silver-grey eyes watched the steel panes repeat their view over and over again as he went up to the top level. Reaching up through the doors, he saw Sono looking at him near the buttons. Ashitaka slowed his walking pace a little to strut in sync with the Sergeant.

"Do you always come here early Sono?"

"I got nothing else better to do in the morning."  
"Well we have something to do now."  
"And what's that? Chasing a few hacking bums?"  
"Most likely."

THEY THEN walked into another room where there were two rows of Intel computers all that bring out 3D dimensional views of the screens, and on one of them was a woman, roughly around her late 20's, wearing a dark scarlet uniform and has a hair streaked with fruity violet. She was sat down on a wheelie cotton chair tapping her fingertips on the keys of the keyboard and her eyes whirred side to side reading small imprints of words.

"Yuka." Sono called out silently, as then her green eyes turned towards the Sergeant and the Major and greeted them with a fair smile.

"I take it you're here for the list."  
"Yes. Have you managed to rip it off the disk?"  
"Just printing off." She then pressed her finger on the screen where it said 'print' and then from behind the computer, whizzed and hummed out a small A4 sheet of paper, with the Japanese names that were ripped from the disk. She quite hurriedly pulled the sheet out, and walked her way over to the two men.

"Here's the list, there are 25 names on here that your head want's you both to return in custody."

"25? How are we supposed to find 25 internet hackers here in Tokyo?"

"That's when I did some quick research on them all." Yuka then brought out another sheet with personal data of telephone numbers, addresses and statistics. "When I first got hold of the names, I did a quick research on them all just to help you guys out more."  
The Major then took a soft hold of the sheets and smiled fairly at her.

"Thank you, we'll be on our way now."  
"We'll be back with the whole gang." Yuka held a small chuckle under her breath as Sono smiled cheekily at her and winked before following up from behind of Ashitaka.

OUTSIDE OF the building, the Major and the Sergeant head their way over to the parking lot, where on one side there was a row of motorbikes of all colours and designs; Ashitaka's was next to Sono's, where it was subterranean electric blue with silver streaks on the side, along with his blue helmet hanging on one of the handles.

"I know what? I never actually saw you ride your bike for a while. I heard you added NOS enhancements to your engines."

"I tried not to go over the top just in case by any chance my engines will explode."

"Right, let's put on our head pieces then." Ashitaka and Sono then attached their miniature cells by the side of their ears, as then with Ashitaka's normal hand, fingerless gloves were still suitable for driving, he leaped onto his bike and undid the lock as so did Sono, as they both then put both of their helmets on.

"Pick a choice Ashitaka: Skillet or Limp Bizkit."  
"I would say Limp Bizkit."  
"Good choice, because I feel like listening to them."  
"I thought you were the metal kind."

"Oh I am, but something high-pace would get my spirit up today."  
"Huh, Limp Bizkit? Well at least put on that song I like." Before Sono turned his bike keys and revved up the engine, he pressed the button on the cell piece a few numerous times, before he then put the son ''Rollin'". God that song can really get you running. Ashitaka already accelerated his power as he twisted the handle, which then sparked some electric green lightning in his wheels, and then his so much force, he lifted his front wheels up quite high, and then slammed it back down as then he strode down the road viciously like a wild horse, with Sono riding speedily behind him, through the tunnel lights and pass the traffic that withstood their way.

WITHIN THE next few hours, their hunt for the internet hackers commenced, as one of the two men rose up the sheet full of names written on them, the other drew out a black thick pen, and dotted at the first name on the list. Sono was the first to track him down, as few scenes were shown of him chasing after a man in a beige waterproof jacked and worn-out trainers, as then he yanked onto the colour and flung him so hard to the side of a wall, he knock him out completely, and then he drew out a small silver shape that looked like a narrow capsule, but then when he squeezed it in between the man's wrist, a turquoise light shot out and wrapped around the man's wrist, almost like the ordinary metal cuff, but try to break free of them, you get electrocuted.

Next on the list; it was the Major's turn, as he was about to be hit with a metal pipe by the next hacker screaming out of panic, but Ashitaka blocked the hit with his right arm and punched him in the stomach before harshly kicking his foot out for a smash in; second hacker down.

As the list continued to be identified and crossed off, Limp Bizkit continued to play that infamous 'Rollin'' punk rock song as the two highly trained men continued to fight their way through the hackers that were just took weak and pathetic to be brought down. Sono had kicked forcefully collided his fist through one's cheek, and then slapped him quite lightly as a cheeky gesture as the poor dude was rolling down the stairs. One was trying to be brash and tried to kick Ashitaka out of the way, but that was blocked by his other leg and then clutched onto his wrist from a punch that was coming his way; he would twist it to then slam the body down to cuff him. The list continued to shrink and shrink from every number on the list: no. 6 gone, no 13 gone, no. 17 gone, and so on and so forth with each travelling of motorbikes skidding down new roads to track down every, single hacker that they could get their cuffs around.

THE DAY was drawing nearer to 4 pm as it had been one bit of a hectic day for the Major and the Sergeant; the afternoon sun was merging from bright yellow to fruity tangerine with the sunlight reflecting on the glossy plastic paint of their bikes.

"Have we got anyone else left on the list?"  
"We have only one left." Ashitaka and Sono were still sat on their bikes but holding them upright with their legs. The Major was flicking through the sheets as his finger scrolled down on all the crossed names that were taken into custody, and right at the bottom of the page, was only one left. "His name is…Princess Mononoke?"  
"Hmm, strange feminine name for a man there Kanershiro."  
"This one must be a woman then, all of the rest we had were men."  
"Where's her location then."  
"Unknown."  
"What?" Sono then kicked the stand out and leaped off his bike as he leaned over Ashitaka's shoulder and looked down at the sheet. "But how is that possible, she must live somewhere."  
"It could be that she must be quite an advance type of hacker, and she's not stupid." Then a simulated ring tone was vibrating in his half-tight, half-loose trouser pocket as then the Major drew out a video mobile and with a press of a button, Yuka appeared.

"How's the search going?"

"Great, the only problem we have is on the last one."  
"Ah, the Princess Mononoke."

"That's right; do you have any information on her location?"  
"I'm afraid not. But, I have found out that she uses the hacking virus called 'The Doppelganger': it's a bug that replicates your normal files and stays as one copy, but it actually steals computer codes which then can spread to other computers through modem and wireless connect. And I have just found a link to this place." The video screen then miniaturised to a small screen, and then another screen went up with the address of a building as the mobile automatically saved it to its drive.

"Thank you Yuka, we'll get onto her trail straight away."

"No problem." The video mobile then switched itself off as Ashitaka carefully placed it back into his pocket, and replacing himself back on his bike as so did Sono.

"It's getting late."  
"And what does that mean Major?"  
"More people will be out tonight; it would be a lot harder to find Princess Mononoke."

"Don't worry, we're members of Sector7; we can find her."

"Alright." The Major and the Sergeant then placed on their helmets, raged their NOS horsepower engines, and let their bikes ride boldly into the heart of the city.

"Let's go Sono!"

"I'm coming!"


	6. Wild Beauty

Chapter 5

**Wild Beauty**

It was 8:30pm, still early for all the alcohol benders and energetic biker gangs to crave into mayhem and adrenaline. The neon lights of bright, synthetic colors padded across parades and walls of flashing towers of caricature designs. The cars continue to pile and pile out of their incompetence of trying to pass away the time of being jammed and crushed between each other, with their lashing tongues of cussing and howling horns. There were people so individual from the next with pink fluorescent hair to stripy vintage style dresses that ought to be classed as PVC latex.

Ashitaka had always had this weird peculiar relationship with the city. He adored the way that the urban development had adapted itself from simple detached housing to soaring skyscrapers higher and piercing the sky. The way that the flashing lights of simple colors like red, blue, yellow and green made him feel like he was living in an alien world where everyday is party day. The other side made him feel that he should feel grieved and ashamed from the infestation it unleashed; the established and nature-growing trees were torn and ripped of their roots to create a world where more humans can live in, perhaps they must had ran out of room because of humans fucking around with unwanted pregnancies. Nevertheless…he was content and happy.

The Major swiveled round his slick black bike and brought it to a sudden stop near some private car parks along with Sono, as then he drew out his video mobile and tapped on the screen button with his thumb to show the address that was given by Yuka.

"This was the place that the address was given to us." Sono then leant over to see and compare the two.

"Huh? That's strange…that means that the address leads us…" They both then slowly looked up to the building in front of them, where they saw up ahead, was a two storey structure, with static flitching lights of deep pink, pale green and electric blue swirling around in optic fiber tubes decorated in mature patterns, there was a small group of people given access by a bouncer to enter through the hard graffiti doors all dressed in wicked styles of punk vogue. It was a club; a club for rockers and ravers to unleash their primitive menaces through solid music.

"No way can we get through that; at night it's the gang's time to drink heavily and go crazy, it must be the moon doing the work."  
"That's right, the cops only come into scenes where incidents can go extreme, but its gang's job to correct any offences towards them; that's what they chose through the rewriting of the Tokyo law and policy."  
"Bad idea, that's what I think; causes more crimes then the policy we had before. But first things first, how can we get inside." Ashitaka looked at the structure of the building on the outside, but with his video mobile, he took a camera shot of it. With the use of his digital internal effects, the picture that he took merged into thin structured lines of the building.

"I can get to the roof through a steam chimney, whilst you can slip out at the back; it would be best if we spilt up again to avoid any suspicions."  
"What's the objective Major?"  
"Find Princess Mononoke, and bring her in for an oral investigation."  
"Right." The two highly-trained police men then got off their bikes in a synch tone, and walked in different directions.

Sono first kept to a speedy, strong walking pace when then he lowered it around the corner of the building, he then saw a narrow alley way where there on one side saw tall broke pipes dripping with rainwater into the puddles, and on the other was a fire exit. He went up to it with haste, but there was no handle. He cussed a little, but then he drew out a small circular device with a red button at the top, he pressed it gently with his thumb, stuck it firmly against the door, he then curbed his way back round behind the wall close to the corner's edge; holding another button in his hand, but with the press of that one, a small yet quite violent lash of fire exploded from the door, and it swung open freely. Sono smirked a little, before he then taped on his head piece to turn it on.

"I can get in now; it's your turn." Ashitaka then switched off the piece and looked at the building he was in front off, it just looked too easy; the emergency ladders and levels gave him simple access to the roofs above, all he wants to do is jump.

So then, he bent low a little, and then leaped boldly into the air diagonally on the first level, and then on the next, swinging his arms back and pointing his face to the black rich night sky. The air streamlined against his clothes as he then reached onto the roof's surface, before sprinting like rapid fire and somersaulting backwards onto the roof of another building. One more graceful flip and he found himself on the roof of the night club, where in front of him he saw the steam chimney in which climb down under.

UNDERNEATH THE roof was the very top level of the night club, where they hold the velvet scarlet carpets and the freaky framed abstract pictures for their main theme of undergo rock. One of the tiles of the ceiling slid away; revealing a square hole where then the Major cunningly and silently slid down from. On his right side was the elevator, but he didn't want to take just incase anyone finds a police soldier sneaking into a night-legal clubhouse, so then he looked around some more;, observing the room as carefully as he can, until he found a door that lead to some stair cases on his far left. He quickly crept around to the doorway, as he got passed he saw a dark teal, narrow room of the staircases, he looked down as he placed one hand on the balcony, where he saw the long slender, not to mention steep, space of where the stairs encircled it, leaving to a very huge drop. But for Major Kaneshiro, it was another problem that can be solved with the click of his fingers. He steadily jumped over the balcony as his feet were pointing to the ground; the air rushed through his hair and his hands were out to keep his balance steady. But then, he grabbed onto the second-to-last balcony he saw in front of him, and his speeding fall stopped, only then to drop safely to the ground floor on his feet, as he then straightened his jacket out and stood up directly before walking over to the door, where over there, it lead him straight to the dance floor

. The room was lightened and dazzled with oily luminous lights of fierce pink, deep blue and sweet green, all in patterns of grease and water slithering across the curved ceiling, where there was a glasses of wine bottles clattered together to make crystals of the stalagmites over the roofs. There was one DJ over with his electronic advanced decks, with his headphones in his ears and remixing one TATU's songs 'Clowns', blurred with drums and bass, and the crowed was somehow acting cool and crazed at the same time; they were dancing, but not too wildly, almost as if this place is more likely their style rather than banging their heads against the walls until internal bleeding ruptured in their brains. Anyways, the search must continue, as Ashitaka entered into the breezy dance floor, as the song changed into a remix of Eiko Shinamiya's 'Naraku No Hana' one of Japanese's favorite soundtracks from the detective anime 'Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai' a cute yet bloody animation full of torture and needles, yet the crowd loved it. His slow paced walking through the crowd made him blend a little to the motion of waving hands in the heated atmosphere in sync with the beat and rhythm, he silently brushed pass the dancers of oil and slick, trying to get into a small space the crowd, as the music transformed into Groove Coverage's 'Poison'; the techno cover was more popular than Alice Cooper's version. And that's when she came.

She was striding along in her half-gothic purple flamed boots and her leather slick trousers, as she swung her arms midway covered in fishnet materials of elastic wrapped around her arms up to the rims pf her fingers and thumbs. The Major stopped as he saw her firm flat belly with an amethyst gem embedded in her belly button, seeing her pelvic bone, he looked up her strutting walk, as her tight purple top bounded her abdomen and bust, with the rim of the sleeveless top reaching up to her cleavage and her nape. There was a tribal mix of aboriginal and gothic tattoos of blood red and oil black on her left shoulder, and more strangely enough, there were luscious scarlet triangles on both cheeks and on the middle of her forehead, where her short mix of teal green and light brown fringe covered parts of it, and her prickly hair stuck out brightly with her bangs hanging behind her ear with a few stripes of electric blue and violent violet stunning out in front.

Ashitaka was stargazed, he watched her soldier stride down through the middle of the space that was open to him. The lyrics of the song spun in motion with her movement.

"_Your cool devised,_

_Your blood like ice,_

_One look, could kill,_

_My pain, your thrill…" _

His lips were pursed, his mouth was moist and his fingers rubbed against each other as the synchronization of the music and the daring punk female strode down the walk.

"_I wanna love you but I better no touch,_

_I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop,_

_I wanna kiss you but I want it too much,_

_I wanna taste you but your lips solve them of_

_Poison,_

_Your poison running through my veins,_

_Your poison,_

_I don't know how to take this down…" _

What was it about her that made his blood rush rapidly in his body? What was it about her that actually made him lighten up and spur for the first time? What exactly was it? Yes, she may look vivid and feral. Yes, she may act stern and untouchable. But her gorgeousness gained sovereign over her body like thick hot oil raining over her white patterned skin. Yes she was wild, but it was her wild beauty that made the Major ecstatic.

But suddenly to interrupt that moment, rapid images of himself dashing through forest woodland and spears of fires came soaring at him through the dusty night went static in his mind. Ashitaka rubbed his forehead and grunted a little.

"Major? Major come in." His head piece went off in static mode.

"Yes I'm in."  
"I found her."  
"Where is she?"  
"On the dance floor, purple top with tattoos on her face." Ashitaka immediately looked up as he saw the girl enter back into the dance remix. He couldn't believe it. It can't be her…can it?  
"How do you know it's her?"  
"Because my wireless net device can connect with everyone's piece in this room and they're all named by a code name, and I just detected Princess Mononoke." Ashitaka looked at the girl once more as she dispersed away into the camouflage of the dancers rubbing themselves upon each other, with the ultra beat still pumping hard.

"Where are you now?"  
"On one of the platforms." The Major looked up above the ground floor and saw that Sono was till merging in with the crowd; not dancing, but merging.

"Right, I'll get her then." The Major drew out from behind his back the neon-electric hand-cuffs just like the ones he used on the hackers from the list. He kept them behind his back and walked his way over to the girl, where she was sitting on some couches along with a few other punk-rockers.

"THERE SHE is! The wolf herself!" A man with colored streaks in his vivid modern fringe style and an outstanding uniform of a red biker outfit, along with a few other's in the same mode.

"What? There's no need for an audience for my entrance."  
"Well you are a little late."  
"I wasn't hacking today, if that's what you mean." We she sat down with the one in the biker suit, the others went silent for a moment.

"Speaking of which…did you receive an invitation from the Hustler?"  
"Yeah…but I'm not going to take part in it. All I do in hacking is just to cause riot; I don't want to have the entire world's money from one man's domination for Tokyo."  
"Girl you got morals."  
"Oh shut up! This rebel has got attitude not morals."  
"And sex appeal." One whispered in the corner, when then San laughed out loudly and slapped that girl on the arm and wrestled her down out of fun. Then the biker-geared boy brought her back up onto her seat and tickled her side violently, which made her wriggle and squirm out of delight.

"Princess Mononoke: advanced hacker, martial arts fighter and a feisty woman, brought to her knees by a few tickles!"  
"Get your grubby hands off me!" She giggled loudly and wrapped a bear hug around him.

BACK WITH the Major, he was getting closer with every slow step he took. But then, something caught the corner of his eye to turn. Like himself half-stationary but still moving; there was another man, unlike how the other people in the room were clothed, he was dressed in a thick black long-coat, thick black glasses, and heavy boots who looked like someone out of he movie 'The Matrix'. The Major stared at him for a moment, and realized that he's moving in the same direction as he was. He slowly bleeped on his head piece and whispered through it.

"Sergeant, come in."  
_"Yeah, what is it?"_  
"Check the man on your one o'clock; the one in long black coat." Sono looked around at first, but then spotted him with his purple eyes lurking on the right.

"_Yeah, I found him. He's moving in the same direction as you are."_ Ashitaka looked directly at his footsteps; they were in sync with his. He was starting to get cautious a little, but then with a glimpse of a gun in that man's pocket he turned full-on aware.

"He has a gun, and I think he's going for the girl."  
_"I've spotted another one in black; he's making his way over to you guys." _Ashitaka looked behind him and saw another black-clothed man walking over with a gun in his hand. _"You just concentrate on the one near you."  
_"Right."  
The tension was drawing nearer and nearer to the lounge, as the funky group of young 20 year olds in vibrant clothes and bad-ass attitude. The Major kept his one hand on the handle of his gun near the side of his thigh covered slightly by his bright cobalt jacket. It was getting nearer; closer to the empty space from dancing men and women. The young girl in he purple top was still enjoying herself with the man in the red biker outfit; having a laugh, that's what they were just doing. Ashitaka was then quite harshly shoved on the shoulder by a rude punk man, but then, the man in the long coat finally got out from the crowd, and quickly drew out his gun.

"_Ashitaka he's gonna shoot her!" _The Major quickly turned his head around as he saw the man aiming a gun at the girl's head. He miraculously slid pass the crowd, and shoved the man to the ground. But a bullet was fired, yet as Ashitaka knocked it off target, it didn't hit the girl; it hit the biker boy. His head flicked back and a fountain of blood spat a little onto the girl's face, as her energetic happy smile immediately mutated into a frown of horror, when his body dribbled to the floor with her arms trying to support him. Screams echoed the room as the music stopped playing and the dancers fretted away in shock. The other man in the black coat drew out his weapon too, but not quick enough to stop Sono from shooting a bullet to his head and went dead cataleptic.

Ashitaka had the man pinned to the ground, as he punched him on the cheek twice with his right elbow drawing up high and then plummeting back down low, and then for the third time, he disarmed the man when he dislocated the man's shoulder with the crunching of the bone. He quickly took away the gun that was fired, yet then a small device swerved behind him, as then his eyes broadened by the bleeping of the red light in the middle. He tossed to one side, when then the device exploded into a thick creamy fog, where it could confuse people's visions and suffocate their lungs slightly; making them collapse out of lack of oxygen.

Out of panic, the crowd went wild and started to sparse around the large dance floor. The Major hurriedly rose back up and coughed a little as he bleeped o his head piece.

"Sono, come in! What's happening?! What do you see?!"  
_"A SWAT team is coming in through the entrance! It looks like they're from Sector 10."  
_"Chisato…" Kaneshiro mumbled to himself as the SWAT members merged in into the thick mist. He tried to straighten himself and searched for the Princess Mononoke. It was hard at first, but then he saw a small glimpse of her as she wondered and stuttered through the dust. She cried out 'Help!' as loudly as she could, but was then captured roughly by two SWAT members before Ashitaka could reach her.

"_Ashitaka, get out of there now!"_ The Major had no choice; he had to get out of there, so he then sprinted right back to where he came from, he stumbled a little from the particles of dust surrounding him, but there was room enough to get back into the narrow staircase room, where he then he started to sprint on the stairs. With a few staircases down, parts of the SWAT team finally burst through the door causing it to shatter splinters, and to then storm up the stairs. The Major looked down and saw the hustling men hurrying up, as then he carried on sprinting up he stairs an then reaching up to the top floor; panting hard and heavily with his hands on his knees. And then looking on his side, the elevator door opened to more SWATS', when Ashitaka ran up to the square hole he came from and reached back up onto the roof. And on there, he dashed across the surface, leaping and diving into the thin air. The SWATS couldn't have the chance of getting up there, which gave Ashitaka time to prowl from balcony t balcony on the way down; right down to the ground where there he met Sono safe and sound.

"C'mon Ashitaka! We got to get to the station."  
"Right!"

THEIR MOTORBIKES revved and raged once more, as their electric fire engines fiercely dashed on the roads and to their next destinations.


	7. New Home

Chapter 6

**New Home**

BACK OVER at the federal CIA station, Ashitaka and Sono hurried themselves into the elevator, where they knew that the Sector 10 had already taken in that girl under custody, and probably one of the assassins who tried to kill her. The elevator seemed to have whirred and levitated faster than before, perhaps it was due to the tension that held between the two soldiers that became a catalyst for speed.

They then reached to the top level, and rushed themselves to the interrogation room like the one where Chisato investigated on Uzami. Then Yuka hurried up to Ashitaka and Sono in her scarlet blazer and mid-long skirt and her fruity grape shoulder-length hair.

"Major! Sergeant! I didn't know what to do; Sector 10 insisted on—

"Intruding the clubhouse, yeah we were there." Ashitaka finished her sentence.

"I'd also take it that they also caught the assassin who tried to kill Princess Mononoke."  
"ONE of the assassin's; I killed the other." Sono explained further.

"Oh…"  
"They were firing at open public, and an innocent citizen was murdered instead of the girl. Sono took out the other before carnage commenced." The Major talked further.

"I still don't understand though, Chisato turned down your offer of joining in of the opposed task, and he just took his SWAT team and entered the building fully charged, yet he knew you two would be here."  
Ashitaka stopped at an instant when Yuka finished her last bit of her sentence, as the other two people stopped and stared at each other.

"He knew me and Sono would be at the nightclub?"  
"That's what I overheard." Silence overcrowded the space, when then Ashitaka stomped his way over to the confession room.

"Major, where are you going? Major!" But he just continued walking hastily to the room where the female hacker was kept in custody.

"NO YOU listen to me! I want you to answer MY question first! I want to know what happened tonight!" The short-haired 20 year-old girl was found stood up with her shoulders hunched and still a few dried stains of blood dehydrated on her neck and chest, but she wiped some of her face before she lashed out her cussing tongue towards Chisato.

"No I believe miss YOU should be answering MY questions first."  
"Oooh (!) About what?! The fact that I'm a net hacker?! Well don't you have other things to do?! Like the bastard who shot my friend in the head!" She leaned even further and thumped her forehead with her right forefinger before harshly placing herself back into her seat and crossed her arms hastily.

"Of course; my men will sort that problem out."

"What will they do, bring him back to life? I'd love to see them try to refuel his brain with 200,000 nerve cells. Think you can do that?"  
"Miss, now is not the time to act cynical towards a police captain. Right now, I'm more interested in your interaction with the Hustler."  
"God, I have no affiliation with him whatsoever! He offered me an invitation but I turned it down, and I haven't had any contact or information from him since."

"Why were those men trying to kill you?"  
"Kill me?! What the hell are you talking about?! Who's trying to kill me?!"  
"The man who shot your friend."

"Are you saying that he was killed my friend by mistake?!"  
"That's not important right now." The punk girl then slammed her fists upon the table and bared her gritting teeth at him.

"How dare you say that that is not fucking important right now?!"

"Please calm down or I will have to send restraints in!" She rose from her place and violently kicked her chair onto one side of the room; her temper had burst into a flower of red and rage as her feisty scent flourished out from her power. Until her ruby glow cooled down as she sighed heavily with her eyes drawn to the wall on hr left side.

Ashitaka was standing behind the mirror glass keeping a close eye on the girl; her movements made him peculiar of her whereabouts. His fingers began to rub again and his lips curbed with curiosity for the punk hacker's fiery haze; all of her anger that can be converted by lightning into something hotter than fire, but cool as ice. She then turned to the mirror, but tried to look deeper and more thorough than what other captives couldn't be bothered to do. He was staring. She was staring. The two of them were staring directly in each other's eyes, even though the girl could only see her reflection, she knew that there was someone else watching her in the shadows. He was spotted. She pulled an angry look upon her face and flicked her hair away from him and made her final statement.

"I do not know of the Hustler any further from the invitation he sent me. Nothing…more."  
Then Sono entered the room where Ashitaka withheld, rustling some papers were in his hands. He watched the Major look at him and then stared at the silent raging girl again.

"It's a waste of time, you know?"  
"What is?"  
"Well I seriously don't think that you're gonna get answers just staring at her."  
"No, I will get answers from the police officer from Sector 10 who evaded the objective. Chisato…I don't understand his behavior around me…he acts like a bureaucrat not a police officer." They then stared back at the girl and Chisato as their investigation was closing in.

"I found some information on Princess Mononoke."  
"Real name?"  
"Unknown."  
"Residence?"  
"Doesn't have one." Ashitaka then turned his attention towards the information given to him.

"What?"  
"That's right; she has no home, no phone number, and no file documents, no occupation except what she's being paid for hacking…and she has been orphaned for god knows how many years." The Major then turned his head back towards the girl, and then felt a small sense of sympathy for her.

"They're coming out." They both then walked out of the darkened room and waited in the hall, where they would be expecting the captain and the suspect to come out from. Sono then saw her; Chisato tried to grab her arm, but she brashly grudged it out of the way with might; her irate on her face was shown distinctively. Ashitaka showed a quite firmed face towards Chisato, but the captain ignored that began his sentence.

"She'll be staying in one of the cells for tonight."  
"But the nearest one is over in Old Town; it'll take up the rest of the night."  
"I think I believe what's best here…Sergeant, as it is ME who holds her captive."

"And as Major of this bureau, I command that you release her of charge and custody." The girls eyes pricked open with a small gasp along with Chisato's face in a small distraught.

"What?!"  
"She's not a suspect; she's a target. Why else would those men want to assassinate her? And what makes you so certain that the same group of people would try to kill her again? I think it's best that she stays here." Then Sono pitched in.

"Ashitaka you can't do that."  
"Why not?"  
"The Head won't allow it; because she was on the list, he'll take her as an enemy. And besides, since she's a hacker you can't really trust her."  
"Well where is she supposed to go?" Then a small silence stirred the air for a moment as Sono's eyes lingered towards Ashitaka's, which made the Major sigh in annoyance.  
"I guess I can take care of her." The girl jerked away a little.

"Hell no!"  
"You have to, otherwise the chances of you getting killed again are most likely; the Major is a safe person to be with, an example could be of dodging your bullet." Sono's little statement made the girl stare at Ashitaka a little deeper, and then tossed her head away like before.

"Fine!" She spat with reluctance.

"So be it." Ashitaka made a final comment, as he heard Chisato grunt with distraught. "I'll talk to YOU in the morning." He firmly spoke back at him, before turning away from him towards the elevator. The girl couldn't wait to get away from the captain and follow the Major in his footsteps.

THEY BOTH stayed silent on their way down to the ground level; Ashitaka stood in his usual position with his arms crossed and his back straight, but the punk girl's style seemed to be quite similar towards him; straight back, arms crossed, but with legs quite further apart than his were. They reached the ground as then the girl tried to hurry Ashitaka in order to go outside, and as they do, she door after she walked through the glass doors.

"Well that was one hell of a trip." Ashitaka then slowly rotated his face towards her.

"Excuse me?"  
"No offence but…I think I can make my own way home now."  
"Go then."  
"What?"  
"Go on. Go home."  
"Are you serious?"  
"Yes. You're free to go." The girl stuttered and struggled for a moment to move, she knew she had no where to go; all of her other friends would be too scare-fucked out of their skulls that they won't set another foot outside again. She turned her head both ways, and then looked down at the floor. Ashitaka won that round.

"Just as I thought." Ashitaka then carried on walking, and as she had no choice, so did the girl. They both reached over to his slick black Yamaha motorbike, when the Major took grasp of his helmet.

"You have a Yamaha?"  
"Yes, for a little while now. Do you have one?"  
"A silver Suzuki, but I bet that's trampled over now thanks to police captain jackass and his retarded posse."

"Right…there's no need to call him by that."  
"Why not? I know that's how YOU feel towards him. I can see it in your eyes."  
"Me and the Captain are both fine." He spoke in quite a stern tone towards her.

"Psch, whatever." The Major then realized that he only had one helmet between the pair as the girl parked herself behind Ashitaka with her butt on the foam-filled leather seat, and leaned back a little as the Major nearly turned on the engines.

"You can use this." He passed the helmet back behind him into the girl's palms. She grudgingly placed it on and forcefully wrapped her arms around Ashitaka's waist, as the engines revved and the wheels spurred into action.

20 MINUTES later, the Major unlocked the mechanism of his door, and opened it with the knob as he entered the house. But the girl didn't join him; she stood just outside on the rim of the entry, she stood ever so still her skin didn't twitch from the small rush of air escaping from the room. Ashitaka turned around and became a little confused by her stationary activity.

"You can come in you know." The girl didn't reply and looked at the floor; she was a little chilly since she left her black jacket over at the nightclub. "What's wrong?"  
"It's just…I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable; I would be intruding."  
"This is your new home now. I'm sure you'll be fine living with me, now come in." The girl took in a small breath of air, and raised one foot over the rim, along with the other until she was hen officially in the Major's apartment. She looked up, and gave off a small sigh.

"Thank…you."  
"It's ok; you don't have to thank me." Her sad melancholic expression that smeared across her face made her feel out of place a little. She never ever felt wanted by a stranger; her punk gang friends always made her sense the emotion of specialty that fitted her as a part of a missing jigsaw piece. But why him? Why a Major? He's the antithesis of what her purpose is; he wants discipline, she wants rebellion, two very different perspectives. She only wondered…what the reaction would be if she conflicted the two together.

She saw Ashitaka maneuver around the room to take off his bright cobalt jacket and gently threw it on the grey sheets of his bed. She could see his hard chest subtly showing through his navy blue tight t-shirt, and observed his quite large hands disarming himself from the guns he always carried and positioned them in a drawer on one side of his bed. The lighting was warm and delicate with an orange-yellow haze from the light bulb that was fixed onto the ceiling. The Major then walked into his spare room with the punching bag inside; against the wall on where the door was placed, he began to unfold a black sofa into a small double sized bed, brushed away a few creases and padded away tiny amounts of dust.

"Come here." The girl stuttered for a moment, but then quite bravely entered the room where Ashitaka was, and looked at the made bed.

"You can sleep here. Do you need anything else?"  
"No. I'm fine. Thank you." Her staccato style of speech still made her feel unwary towards the Major.  
"If you need the bathroom, it's on the other side. I can make you a bath if you like."  
"Are you saying that I stink?"  
"No, I'm saying you should relax. I'm not going to harm you in anyway. I offered to protect so you have nothing to worry about. Now do you want a bath or not?"

"Fine, I'll have one."  
"Ok then…" The small blank was supposed to be the part where the girl said her name but…

"I still don't trust you."  
"That's fine. Should I just call you Princess Mononoke then?"  
"That would suffice…for now."  
"Right." Ashitaka then walked out of the room to start the bath for Princess Mononoke. Right after he left, she collapsed her body onto the bed and sighed loudly as she stared at the ceiling.  
_"What am I doing? Why am I staying with a total stranger? Should I be worried? He said that I shouldn't have to be anxious, but I bet any man would say that. I might need to pick up my gun tomorrow, which is IF the man lets me out of his apartment. I mean, c'mon! I can protect myself…on the other hand…he did save my life, and I could show some gratitude to him. That girl's right; I DO have morals, even for a hacker. God…if only people knew WHY I do it…" _She thought to herself as she nearly dozed off, but the rushing sound of hot running water electrocuted her doze and shot her eyes open again.

THE SEARING steam lingered on the tiled walls and the mirror as condensation dripped from the surface, with a semi-circular bathtub half filled with sweltering bathing water. Ashitaka wiped down some droplets of wetness away from his skin as the girl's bath was ready. He walked back over to the other room after he neatly folded some white towels beside the bathtub.

"Your bath's ready." The girl leaned herself up and swept her tight purple top a little, before she walked pass Ashitaka and brushed one of her bangs out from her face, revealing her triangle tattoos on her façade. The Major looked at them so closely, wondered the beauty behind those bohemian marks. But then, and electric spark shot through his brain like a painless bullet rushing through his veins, only instead of a bullet were anonymous images back in ancient Japan.

_A girl?  
"Go away."  
"I'm not afraid to die…"  
"I should kill you for saving her!" She drew out his sword and thrust it between his throat and the air. What will she do?_ The Major took in a small gasp and rubbed his forehead with his fingers.

"Hm? What's wrong?" The girl wondered out of plain curiosity, but then Ashitaka grudged himself straight and rubbed his forehead with his fingers/

"Oh…nothing. If you want me, I'll be in my bed, ok?"

"Ok…" She drifted off a little and then slowly brought herself over to the bathroom, whilst Ashitaka panted a little from the small brainstorm he just had.

SHE QUIETLY locked the door; she looked around and stared softly at the white, blurry tiled walls surrounding the room.

"_He can't get in." _she thought to herself, as she then started to tenderly remover every piece of clothing she wore that veiled her naked body; her tight purple top and her leather-fit trousers were peeled away from her skin, as then the black-lacy lingerie drooped away from her thighs and bust. She tingled slightly as the humidity of the water touched her skin tenderly; starting with her left foot, she then dipped her whole body into the pure whiteness of a bath. Her breath sighed out as the thick density puffed out a fair mist into the atmosphere. She then slowly leaned her head back onto the rim of the bath top and stared at the pale teal ceiling.

"_What am I doing here? Taking a bath in a stranger's house? Why am I repeating the question? God, my head's in a mess right now. Why did that boy have to die? I loved him to bits; he was like my only brother. Why was he taken from me…?"  
_Her eyes began to tremble with tears that she tried to stifle, but then they broadened with fury and her teeth gritted as she clenched her fists.

"_If only that bastard didn't come along. If only he never came. He could have been fine; we could have been fine, if he didn't show his rotten face there. I'll get my gun tomorrow…and he'll see; he'll see how he will go through hell when I'm done with me. That's right, let's see how he feels with a speeding bullet through HIS brain. I'll kill him. I kill him like a little girl stifled by the neck!" _

Ashitaka was found in his bed with the light off. His shirt was neatly placed to one-side of his bed, along with the sheets covering his lower abs and his chest shown bare. His hair was waved and his eyes were quite wary, whilst he turned to his side and looked at the gasping skylines and neon colors of Tokyo. He was silent; just staring at the nocturnal view.

"What happened back then?"  
But the bathroom door swung open quite abruptly, as he then turned stationary whilst he waited for the girl to get into the other room. He could feel the steam lurking out from the tiled bathroom as then the girl slowly strolled her way into the other room. She slowed down a little to look at the Majors lean and spotless back, but out of conflict she turned her head away and hurried herself back into the bedroom. Closing the door silently, Ashitaka unhurriedly opened his eyes again to look at the mystic digital night before his vision dozed away, for another…strange dream.


	8. Abrupt

Chapter 7

**Abrupt **

_She stood over the other side of a flowing river. She stared at him. He stared back. Their eyes met each other's, as her lips moist with wolf blood and the wind brush pass his face. But then she turned her back as she rode away on a giant wolf. Sudden images in the murky night and fiery explosions came with wooden splinters came, with his own voice echoing and echoing…_

"_No wait!"_

The alarm clock bleeped once again to wake up the human from his sleep. Ashitaka turned his head towards the window where he forgot to close the blinds last night. His hair was messy and wavy as he turned his head to look at the time of 6:30 AM; the morning moan commenced once again when he rubbed his right hand over his face, before he then had the strength to pull himself off his bed and massage his neck.

The alarm clock also woke up the punk girl as she rubbed her head and yawned quite loudly. Her purple-flamed boots were planted near the side of her bed, and the towel was neatly hanging off a balcony near her. She then heard the floor creaking in the main room when the Major was making his way silently to the bathroom. She peered slowly round the frames of the doors, where she saw Ashitaka's tanned, spotless back showing in front of her eyes. She flicked her head back round and scolded at herself; trying to block out the lust of sweating desire, but curiosity was what craved her to look at the gorgeous Major once more. Once again, she looked around, and saw the bathroom door half-closed, with glimpses of Ashitaka appearing there and then continuously. She gently bit her bottom lip when she saw the Major untied his trousers to see his athletic thighs. She couldn't bare it any longer, and by overall she turned her full body away from the easy access of seeing the Major naked whilst being wet and steamed by the hot rain of the shower head. The girl continued to disbelieve in yearn for sex appeal, yet it seemed so difficult to deny, she knew that he was still a stranger. And besides, now wasn't the time to be worrying about desire, all she wanted was absolution from the cause of her friend's death, one way to be free is through revenge.

30 minutes later, Ashitaka came out from the bathroom with a new dark blue tight top and beige combat trouser, as well as rubbing his hair against a towel drying off the tiny droplets of dew hanging off from his tips. He then stopped in the middle of his bedroom/kitchen, and heard a few creaks coming from the spare room. He hung his towel on a small balcony that also hung small tea towels, and opened a plain plastic chair that was placed near a small rounded table enough for two people to sit near by, and went up to the cupboards.

"You must have breakfast some time you know."  
"Goddamn it." The girl cussed under her breath and leaned her head at the back of the wall, as then she reluctantly reached up onto her feet and walked out of the room to look at the freshly-dewed Major.

"Good morning."

"Good morning back." She replied in a low irritable voice.

"What would you like for breakfast?"  
"I don't mind, I never really have breakfast."  
"Hm, I'm the same." He continued to search through the cupboards, until he came across with a 'ready-in-2-minutes' rice bag.

"I can cook you some rice if you want."

"Like I said; I don't mind." She sighed out heavily, whilst Ashitaka looked back at her with pity.

"Look I understand why you don't like staying here, but it's the only way I can be 100 certain that you would stay live. An assassin was clarified to kill you last night; who knows another one would come and get you again. Someone obviously wants you dead, and it is my task to keep you alive."  
"What for? For what purpose? Answer me. Answer me with a very good response." Ashitaka looked down at himself for a moment; she actually struck him a little. Why must he protect her? For what cause?  
"There's a microwave near the towels, you can heat up the rice in two minutes." He placed the packet onto the middle of the table and walked over to sit on his bed as he drew on his shin-length boots and strapped them with Velcro.

"You didn't answer my question." The girl refused to let the question slide, but the Major then drew on his light cerulean jacket, as he then wore on his fingerless gloves and his bike helmet.

"I will find the answer, only if you answer MY question."  
"And that is?" He walked over to the front door as he unlocked it with his key. He opened it slightly and then looked over his shoulder.

"What must I do to gain your trust so you can tell me your name?" The girl kept quiet for a few moments, just after Ashitaka went out from building, she still looked down upon the rice packet and sighed deeply.

Back over at the police bureau, Ashitaka reached up onto the top level of the building of Sector 7, and walked over to Yuka's office, where the room was usually quite shadowed and plastered with pale light. He seemed bizarrely cheerful as she showed off her smile with her juicy pink lips and her succulent purple-grape hair, along with her standard scarlet uniform with a black tie and a white blouse, and a pair of shiny black shoes with thick high heels at the back.

"Major Kaneshiro! I'm so pleased to see you this morning. I couldn't help with the waiting so I decided to come in early with the delivery and been waiting for the first person from our sector to come in!"  
"What has been delivered?"  
"Come with me then."

They were then entered into another room, where it appeared to be another computer extent area, only more advanced than 2D screenings. It had a naked mechanical chair with the wires and the metal covered with a silver steel layer. The wires however at the bottom were then neatly bound together leading up to a massive electrical plug socket. And around the sides were the usual and original computers. Yuka stood boldly in front of the chair looking up with glee, with the Major looking a little confused with the new device, but then gasped a little when a flicker of memory reoccurred in a flash.

"Is that what I think it is?"  
"That's right Major. I had just received news on the results of the biological mechanic examination. The test I ran it on was only a prototype, but the program was designed to evaluate every single subject's sync ratio, and checks which opponent is most adaptive to the apparatus. And the boards chose me! They chose me to carry out objectives of surfing through net! So you're looking at the first official cyber transmitter, created for various purposes, including combat sequences."  
"I'm impressed. I'm guessing you're the first woman to ever complete such an examination, what's the certification for this appliance?"  
"All I have to do is search through cyberspace, trying to find and destroy harmful hacking viruses that can lead up to illegal conspiracy."

"Does the head know about this yet?"  
"He's still waiting for the results, but I'll tell him when he comes in. I still can't believe it though. Me; a federal constable of Sector 7, leading the first internet police act that the board will commence today!"  
"Congratulations." Her witty delighted voice made her squeal inside like a little girl on Christmas Day when she rapidly rips away the golden wrappers, to reveal what she had been craving the most.

"Why thank you very much Major; I can't wait to try it out later on."  
"Well I would love seeing you perform it, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to miss out on that."

"Huh? Why?"  
"I'm going to ask the head if I can cut my inputs into half days; the girl who was plotted for assassination has been put under my care, and I shouldn't be leaving her long."  
"That's not like you bringing strangers into your home."  
"She's not a complete stranger."  
"Oh no, that's right; she's a hacker."  
"From what I've seen recently, I haven't seen her tapping into any electrical devices around my apartment."  
"Don't take her too easily though."  
"I know that Yuka, but she doesn't seem…that cynical or tough towards me."  
"Of course not, you're Major Kaneshiro; the big bad-ass cop (!)"

"Hmm…is that what you think of me?" The Major looked down to his side for a moment.

"Sometimes, but you're such a cool guy in the end." There was a small silence, when then the sunshine started to spread its butter light across the floor as they both turned to the sun rising over the peak of the mountainous skylines.

"Oh, and I kind of need a favor from you too."  
"Oh?"  
"Is it possible that I can borrow some of your clothes? The girl over at the flat needs some new ones since hers might be dirty, besides you look like her size."  
"Uh, sure, let me just get down to my car; I always keep a backpack of some clothes and underwear just in case." As Yuka walked her way out of the room but stopped in the middle of the doorway.

"Just in case for what?"  
"A feminine emergency like yours." She smiled back as she headed back down from the elevator shaft and went outside. Ashitaka waited in the room and had a small stare at the cyber transmitter, until he then heard the sound of Sono's voice chatting away on his way up. He immediately headed outside of the room to meet up with the Sergeant.

"Sergeant."  
"Major." They both greeted each other formally before they were then walking with each other side by side on their way to their Head's office.

"So…how is the Princess Mononoke finding her way around your home?"  
"Everything's fine Sono, but I'm going to ask the Head if I can cut my days shorter; I shouldn't be leaving her on her own too long. Which then means, I ask YOU a favor?"  
"Oh? And let me guess, you want me to investigate deeper in the matter of the Hustler by working closer with Yuka, not to mention keeping an eye on Chisato's commotions."  
"That reminds me; I told him that we were going to have a long talk between the pair of us."  
"I see, well, if you're gonna take some time off of work, then at least tell what's been happening."  
"Happening?"  
"You know, between you and the girl."  
"Nothing is going on between us."  
"Oh sure, you say that now, but in a couple of days, you two will be waking up in the same bed." Ashitaka then firmly pressed his left palm out onto Sono's chest, as he stopped and turned a stern face upon Sono's.  
"I will NOT…have any sexual contact between me and the girl. Got it?"  
"Ashitaka…I'm just considering what the possibilities could be if you get too close with her."  
"What makes you think I'll get close to her? She won't tell me her name; that is a clear sign that she doesn't trust me enough to have a relationship with me."  
"It takes time Ashitaka; in fact, you could get to know her more through spending more time with her."  
"…maybe." They then carried on walking over to the office, where there was also Chisato; talking quite loudly to Sector 7's chief in a quite stressing manner. They both waited behind the door until Sono tepidly knocked on the synthetic timber, with then a small 'come in' was ordered, as the two soldiers entered in politely. The Head of Sector 7 was then drawing frail smile amongst the pair as they stood side by side but away from Chisato.

"Major Kaneshiro, Sergeant Hiasashi, what brings you here?" Sono began to talk first.

"Sir, last night we were tracking down a hacker from the list that Constable Yuka Shimizu; Princess Mononoke, as we entered the location from where she last used her hacking program, two assassins came trying to kill her. We then think that she must be a victim in this Hustler case."  
"Really? Well Captain here was just explaining to me the incident last night."  
"Right, well, Major has something to tell you then."  
"What is it Major?" Ashitaka then stepped up a little as he cleared his throat to speak.

"We figured that Princess Mononoke might be wanted dead, all we need to find out is who and why. So then, I took her under my custody for protection; she's in my home right now."

"Oh?"  
"We can't keep her in the cells because it will be to public for her to stay in, and the possibilities of her getting murdered in their can be high. And that's why I'm here to ask you; to cut my days short here, so I can protect the girl. She might be of some use to us in this case."  
"Hm…well, I will allow it, but I do hope that you do have all your work organized."  
"Yes I do sir."  
"Right then, permission granted."  
"But-but sir." Chisato intervened.

"Quiet Captain, I think you need a long talk between the Major and yourself. I and the Sergeant will need to explore further into the case along with the Constable."  
"Yes sir." The head then tapped Sono on the shoulder, as they showed each other the door, and closed it silently behind the two antitheses watched each other soundlessly, before one of them made the first speech.

"How are you doing with a hacker in your home?"  
"Cut the act Chisato, what the hell was that last night?"

"An act of police force"  
"Why didn't let me or Sono know you were coming? We could have worked together on this, and because you came without notice, an innocent citizen was man slaughtered right in front of the public." Chisato scoffed and looked away towards the naked window with the skyscrapers standing bold and tall over the pollution of noise down below.

"I was just doing my job Major. Shouldn't you be doing yours instead of protecting a hacker? Not to mention, she is a girl."  
"I have eyes Chisato; of course I know that she's a girl. But that does not mean I will have any affairs with her whatsoever. She could be important to this case."

"What case? The Hustler investigation? It's been a few days and you're only coming up with more incidents. Are you sure you have everything under control Kaneshiro?"  
The Major then gritted his teeth bare and clenched his fists silently in the thin air, as he was distraught by what he had heard.

"I am fully aware of the situation, as well as Sergeant Hiasashi. You just concentrate on yours." He then made his way towards the door as he turned the handle and stood halfway in the entrance, before he then turned his eyes at the back of Chisato's head. "One more thing; next time when a fellow soldier offers you a side proposition, don't turn it down and then take advantage of it." His stern voice echoed in the room slightly before he walked out of the room, with Chisato's ignorance stirring in the air out of pure spite.

"HERE IT is; I hope this is enough for now." Yuka handed over a colorful paper bag filled with tops, jeans and a few pairs of underwear to Ashitaka as he only grasped hold of it; not go scrimmaging through it.

"Thank you Yuka, she'll need these some time soon."

OVER BACK at Ashitaka's apartment, the young girl with electric colors in her hair was screaming out of boredom inside, as she leaned her head against the wall, but then she remembered what she did a few hours ago. The windows that were locked were then unscrewed by the talented use of her fingertips, the way she slyly opened the panes and tilted herself skillfully over the balcony, before letting herself go as the air rushed pass her body, when then she stopped the falling when she grasped hold of the last balcony about 2-3 meters away from the floor. She jumped as she bent her knees, and then secretly sprinted away from the apartment blocks.

THE HEAVY banging on a paint-rotting door, brought forth another young girl with similar features as the other had, with her worried face looked upon the panting short-haired girl sweated a little from the sprinting.

"What's happened?" The different girl shrieked a little.

"I need the gun."  
"What?! Are you crazy?! We only use it if it is necessary!"  
"This IS necessary." The tattooed girl then barged through the door and entered into her living room, with the other girl looking at her with worry.

"What difference does it make? The boy is dead."  
"Yeah, and I'm gonna kill the man who killed him. And besides I do have a license for carrying a gun." She dug her fingers into her bra, and drew out a license card with her face patched onto one side.

"Yes I can see that, but that would make you as bad as that assassin if you kill him." The tattooed girl kept quiet for a moment as she looked at the floor, but then pricked her head up and looked at the girl firmly.

"I still need it for protection. You see…I'm living with a police soldier, but I don't trust him."  
"Well…that reasons only a little, but if he does anything to you then…"She sighed, as she quickly hurried herself into her kitchen, and made a racket with forks and knives trying to find what she was looking for, when then she entered back into the living room, holding a gun in her hand.

"The bullets are already packed but don't forget to pull the barrel to load it." The tattooed girl looked at it as then she was offered a small leather bag to keep the gun a secret. "Oh and…" the other girl then handed her a set of keys. "I kept your baby Suzuki safe for ya."  
"Oh thanks babe." They then gave each other a small peck on the cheek as a sign of their wild friendship in the punk lifestyle. The girl then hurried out f the house to search for her bike, and found it hidden near the bushes, with her impact-goggles tidied away with it. She smiled wickedly before her wild illustrious joyride commenced into the silver ride of her silver bike.

She remembered hiding the gun under her pillow, and her bike in the bushes, as she also remembered to lock the window back up before the Major realized that she went out.

But then the turning of keys overhead her ears, when in such a hurry she slammed her door shut and threw herself on the bed; clutching hold of the pillow close to the side of her head. She heard her own heartbeat a little as the footsteps came strolling towards her away, and then a simple knock on her door was made, as she clenched the pillow even tighter.

"Excuse me? Are you awake? I brought some clothes over if you need any spares; a friend of mine let you borrow them." There was no reply exiting from the girl's lips. "I hope you had something to eat. Did you have that rice I offered you?" Still no reply, when then the Major sighed mutely. "Well…if you need me, I'll be here." He then placed the paper bag near her door and walked away over to his bed; he looked over at the skyscrapers again, admiring the view of the fantastic tower giants, but then found something interesting. Fingerprints. Fingerprints on the pane. He leaned over to them slightly to take a closer look at them and then looked over pass the window, as he found something even more interesting. A silver bike was hiding pass the bushes not too far away from his, and then a reoccurring conversation flickered into his head.

"_You have a Yamaha?"  
"Yes, for a little while now. Do you have one?"  
"A silver Suzuki, but I bet that's trampled over now thanks to police captain jackass and his retarded posse." _

He sighed deeply as he knew that she had been out, but refused to say anything to the girl, and decided to take the small matter into his own hands. He knew that she can pick locks, and that she would leave again tonight, but his secretive plan will be kept quiet as he will wait for the girl to come out tonight. He will carry on as normal, until tonight.

IT WAS 10:30 at night; he decided to keep the blinds open but lay on his bed with his t-shirt on, along with his trousers and boots, as if he was waiting for her to come out. The creaking of door hinges was then heard as he kept solid for that moment. The girl poked her head out slowly to look for any signs of movement of the Major, she sighed heavily but quietly when she saw his lying on his bed, she carried the gun in her bag that was given to her, as she was prepared for what she was going to do. She knew that the assassin would be over at Old Town's cells, and she was organized to come with her bike. She looked down and saw the bag when she slowly tiptoed over it, and then made a silent sprint to the door.

But suddenly, something made her trip over and leaned on her chest on the way down. Shit. It made a noise. The girl looked down, and then by the glimpse of the moonlight, she saw a string strongly bound from the kitchen to the bathroom. She then looked up and saw the Major walking over to her slowly, as he looked down at her silently.

"Where are you going Princess?" Out of anger and rage, the girl rose back up, and tried to throw a few punches at Ashitaka. Obviously he can dodge them since he was skillfully trained in martial arts, yet something showed in her moves that this girl is no 'Suzy High-School' kind; she was ravaging, and quite hostile. One high kick tried to reach up to him, but he easily missed that. But then another hit came colliding yet he softly slapped her arm away. She stumbled. She then tried to give him a kick in the shin but he tapped that away with his leg. She stumbled again. Her teeth gritted bare and her fists clenched intensely, as then she tried to drive herself for one powerful punch, but her arm was then driven away from her aim as Ashitaka reaped her in and pinned her to his bed, with the girl's pelvis trapped in Ashitaka's embrace. She tried to break free but her wrists were capture by his large hands as well. All she could do was stare at his face.  
"Where do you think you were going at this time of night?"  
"One thing to get away from you!"  
"You could have easily got out and never return before I got back here. I know you snuck out from this building and went somewhere. I can even see your bike from out here! Now tell me where you were going to go."  
"Why should I tell you! I don't have to trust you! I don't understand why you keep me imprisoned here!"  
"I've put myself up to protect you."  
"Why?! Is it because I'm a woman?! So you can feel me whilst I sleep?!" The two of them were breathing quite heavily as they're battle of words were silenced for a moment.  
"I would never rape you. That's not on my agenda." The girl kept quiet for that instant and gulped a little. Maybe she could trust him, but only a little; she could see that he can have the power to beat her to a pulp, but he defies using that power, and that all he wanted to do, was to protect her. "Now, if you won't tell me where you were going to go tonight…could you tell me why you were over in Old Town three days ago?" Ashitaka lifted some bodyweight off the girl and let her lean up a little.

"I was there because I needed to tell Uzami to cross me off the list." Then a small gasp came from Ashitaka.

"_How does she know Uzami?" _he thought to himself in silence. "So…do you know anything about the Hustler?"  
"No! All I want is revenge on the bastard that killed my friend." Another sigh came out from the Major.

"It doesn't make things any better if you go and kill that man. What difference does it make? It will make you a killer as well." Well that shut the girl up for a moment.

"Well…it could give me satisfaction."  
"Satisfaction of what? Blood? It doesn't make things better; just worse."  
"Fine!" She then tossed her head to one side and kept that way, as Ashitaka looked at her, just normally. Why is he even on top of her if he's just going to look at her normally? It looked like she was going to stay, maybe because she knew that she had nothing, maybe she thought that her and the Major could have some connection to keep for the moment.

"Do you trust me enough to tell me your name now?" The girl sighed as she felt the grey fabric of the sheets brushed against her cheek.

"It's San. Just San. I don't know my last name." Then the Major drew himself off of San and looked down at the girl.

"My name is Ashitaka Kaneshiro, but you can just call me Ashitaka. You will be safe here. I promise that." She then looked down upon herself, as the Major went over to the kitchen to fetch himself something from the cupboards. A small orange-yellow light glowed softly from the lamps attached to the walls, as the rays gently blurred onto San's snowy white skin with tattoos on. She then looked sad and lonely with her brows lowered into a crying expression, but not a tear was shed. Ashitaka then looked back at the girl with silence. "Do you want something to eat?" She then looked up slowly at his face.

THE TWO of them were then sat near a rounded table with steel chairs opposite each other where they sat on. They kept themselves muted as they ate out of a small packet with fried rice and boiled eggs, with the steam coming off from their meals whilst they handled it with their chopsticks.

"I don't mean to pry, but could you please tell me about yourself? Maybe we can be friends rather than strangers under the same roof." A small hush echoed the room a little.

"I was orphaned when I was a baby and lived on the streets since I was 10. But then I was found by a group of people who took me to an orphanage and I lived there until 16. I then started to travel around places as I made friends all over Tokyo; that's why I don't have a residence. And as you can see with my appearance; I'm not subtle."  
"Well, I don't mind about appearance. It's what's on the inside that counts. But I actually think the style suits your personality."  
"Hm. Thanks. So…could you tell me about yourself?"  
"Hmm. I barely know much about my childhood. I have been made Major for the federal CIA bureau since I was 18 and its bee 2 years now. I like scuba-diving in my free time, and I make a living taking a role as a police soldier."

"That must be a hectic lifestyle for you then."  
"Hmm, yes it is." They then kept quiet as they finished off their meals, and threw their empty plastic containers away into the bins.

"Do you mind if I wash myself now?"  
"That's fine; there are some spare clean towels in the bathroom if you need them."  
"Oh…thank you."

"I already told you; there's no need to thank me."  
"No I mean…thank you, for saving me that night." Ashitaka slowly grew a calm fair smile across his olive tan face and sighed with serene bliss.

"Your welcome." San beamed softly before she took her leave to the bathroom, and closing the door silently with the gentle sprinkle of water flowing out from the shower cap. The Major then noticed that the bag of Yuka's clothes was untouched, so he then clutched onto the handles and laid them gently onto San's bed and let them at ease. But then, another shocking glimpse rushed through his veins, as his eyes broadened and his breathing stopped.

"_The wolves had stolen her soul and now she wishes to kill me."  
"Princess of the Wolf Gods! Don't go don there! Go back to the forest!" _

"_That's enough! I'm not listening to you anymore!"  
_

Ashitaka rubbed his head quite roughly to stop what the hell was going on through his brain. His grunts were low but painful a little as then he tried to regain his breathing again.

"What's happening to me lately? Must be a headache."

He then walked out from the room and threw himself onto his bed with his pillow stuck right in his face, and his arms spread out like a bird of prey striking out his long beautiful wings, when he then let out a very loud exhale through the feathers and fabric of his pillow.

30 MINUTES later, Ashitaka was half awake and half dozing away into his dream weaver. The light in the kitchen was still burning in dust, but over near his bed the neon lights of Neo-Tokyo were still dazzling and bewildering the bohemian night life in the city. San calmly opened the door from the bathroom, and saw Ashitaka lying peacefully on his bed, with a white towel wrapped around her naked body as steam rose up from her pores. Her colored bangs were dripping with shower dew and her breaths were slow and deep. She gazed at the man for a moment, looking deeply into his closed eyes and tried to imagine what he could be dreaming on the edge of falling into the numbness of reveries. She gradually began to walk over to him, and sat secretly on the edge of his bed, looking down at the dreamy Major. Oh how gorgeous his face is she thought. But the conflict of him still being a stranger to her still rummaged through her head like a sly fox whispering over her shoulder. Nevertheless, it was curiosity that made her lure closer.

She unhurriedly brushed her fingertips over his delicious chocolate feathery hair and then reaching them down behind his ear, as she let her index finger stroll down his cheek. She felt like, she wanted to get close to him, and then, there could be a possibility, that she knew him before. It's some sort of weird theory that she must have met him in another life; the fact that she began to endure him quicker than any other stranger she had met. But then again; conflict of her pride and her intuition battle against each other, and it looked like bold arrogance had won this night, as she hurried herself back to her room, but then remembered, she quickly tiptoed back into the kitchen and turned off all the lights to save up from any unwanted bills coming through the box. Back as closed the door, she then looked down onto her bed, and found a paper bag with flowers on them. Her suspicion made her run her fingertips inside and found that there were a few spare women's clothes along with underwear.

"He must have borrowed them off someone; at least he's got the right size." She lowly spoke to herself, and then found a small lilac night dress; handmade with a simple design and soft comfortable fabric, she unhooked herself from her towel and drew on the dress. Hanging the wet towel on a balcony, she leaned herself back onto the bed to rest, as she drew in the sheets, and wait for the next morning to come, and give her something new to come._  
_


End file.
